I find it odd that John’s disciples included themselves with the Pharisees. They were using the Pharisees as a measure of their Jewish faith. Fasting was a very important ritual among the Jews, and John’s disciples must have been paying close attention the disciples of Christ. Maybe they were measuring Him up to see if He was worthy of being followed. Regardless of the motive Jesus answers them.
The response of Jesus is very interesting. In verse 15, Jesus seems to equate fasting with mourning. What I hear Him saying is people do not mourn for a bridegroom; they celebrate with big feasts. Jesus represents all the joy and the peace of heaven. In His presence, there is not any reason to be sad or to mourn. He is hope.
The time for fasting is while we anticipate being with Christ in eternity. Why? Remembrance. Fasting reminds us of the perseverance required to get through this life. It also pushes us to show how “little is much when God is in it.” Denying ourselves helps us refocus our time spent here on earth and how we should be serving God.
The interesting part of the response from Jesus occurs in verses 16 and 17. I was puzzled at first and then I read something in Matthew Henry’s Commentary that provided a better understanding of the word I was missing – the word “new”.
Jesus came to give us a new life with standards that will not fit into old religious views. He was not replacing faith or belief or conviction. He was restoring it to the purity it must possess to be worthwhile.
There are times for fasting. There are times for mourning. However, when these practices are taken on their own merit and keep us from drawing closer to God, they are like the new patch sewn to old cloth. They do not fit together and pull apart creating a larger tear.
The Pharisee burdened the people with laws and ceremony. Their brand of religion would fracture the grace-filled faith presented by Jesus. The gospel message of Christ required a complete transformation in thinking about God. The old religion had to be removed so a person could experience the abundant life given through Jesus.
For Jesus to help us experience a new and abundant life, we have to decide as to whether we want to follow Him or sit on the outskirts always looking at what is wrong with Christianity. I remember Pollyanna in the Disney movie saying something like, “If you look for the bad in people you will surely find it.” I searched through Google and my search shows that it is from something attributed to Abraham Lincoln, “If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.”
- What are you finding?
- Are traditions keeping you from fully experiencing Christ?
- Are you searching for the bad in people?
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